 Clean Energy Exhibition |
 Carnivorous Plants |
 "Next Generation" Home |
|
Q U O T E S |
"We decided to visit Georgia Nature Center because a lot of students don't get enough exposure to nature. This experience allows them to learn firsthand about nature and wildlife. The students really enjoyed the carnivorous plants and the solar-powered toys." - Beryl Sheats, 1st Grade Teacher, Social Circle Primary School, Social Circle, Georgia "Georgia Nature Center is an excellent field trip experience for Georgia's students studying alternative energy sources and energy conservation. It is perfectly aligned to the Georgia Perfomance Standards." - Jan Bruns, 6th-8th Grade Teacher, Lincoln County Middle School, Lincolnton, Georgia "Visiting Georgia Nature Center is an excellent way for my students to see firsthand how a private citizen can make a change not only for himself, but also for the larger community. We will be back!" - Todd Shelnutt, 12th grade, AP Environmental Science Teacher, St. Francis High School, Roswell, Georgia (Scroll down to bottom of this page for more quotes.) |
|
Georgia Nature Center is located in Oconee County, Georgia, 20 minutes south of Athens, or 75 minutes east of Atlanta. The center is nestled among 100 acres of rolling hills, creeks, springs, meadows, fern grottos and hardwood forests known as the Indigo Preserve. Tours of the center feature our Clean Energy Exhibition with 3,000 watts of solar power, a wind turbine, and a 600-foot long geothermal air-cooling system. Tours also go through our organic farm, where you will learn how dozens of species of heirloom fruits and vegetables are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Nearby in our carnivorous plant greenhouse watch demonstrations of rare wetland plants which have evolved to capture and digest live prey ― from insects to animals as large as frogs, lizards and small mammals. Nature trails follow Greenbrier Creek and wind throughout the preserve. As you walk, view native orchids, small waterfalls and dozens of mushroom species including the Indigo Mushroom for which the preserve is named. Wildlife is abundant: animals such as deer, wild turkeys, foxes, bobcats, owls, blue heron, raccoons, flying squirrels and 18-inch tall pileated woodpeckers are sometimes seen during guided nature hikes at Georgia Nature Center. Tours also include the Next Generation Home, a partially underground home with an all-glass main floor cooled by geothermal earth tubes. This home is powered only by the sun and wind. Exhibits and trails are open to the public only during guided tours. Click here for our current tour schedule. K-12 and college classes, and other groups of 10 or more, can schedule field trips on any day of the week with short notice. Reservations are required for all tours. Charter bus packages are available for large groups wanting affordable transportation to the center. Upon request, tours can also include a presentation about animal rescue, featuring a discussion about the Rescue Me! animal rescue network started by the nature center founder. Field trips for K-12 students conform to Georgia Performance Standards (GPS).  ECOCAMP - An environmental day camp in northeast Georgia. Custom EcoCamp programs available for gifted students. Call 1-800-800-2SUN x3100 for details. GREEN WEDDINGS - Rent the entire nature center for a green wedding or other event. |
 Organic Farm  Satellite Photograph |
 Activities for Kids  Educational Group Tours |
 5 Miles of Nature Trails  Solar-Powered Concerts |
|
F R E E |
Schedule a Field Trip & Receive 10 Free Carnivorous Plants! 4 Plants for the Teacher Booking the Trip ― Sundew, Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes & Venus Flytrap 4 Plants Awarded to Students During Presentations ― Sundew, Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes & Venus Flytrap Carnivorous Plants for All Bus Drivers ― Each Bus Driver Will Get a Free Carnivorous Plant! Call 1-800-800-2SUN now to reserve your field trip and receive over $80 worth of free plants. (Note: In order to receive free plants, students must be allowed to make purchases from the nature center's Education Store.) |
|
Q U O T E S |
"The tour was very educational and met the GPS standards for Kindergarten. It was entertaining and kept the children involved at all times. There was a nice picnic area where we enjoyed eating our lunch. The field trip was easy to plan and organize." - Laura Croom, Kindergarten Teacher, Oglethorpe County Primary School, Lexington, Georgia "With learning about the environment being such an important topic today, we loved learning about solar energy and seeing the solar home. Our students loved learning about carnivorous plants. The nature hike we took not only taught us about water resources, but was a nice and peaceful adventure. We all felt like we were breathing clean and healthier air. We loved our visit." - Julie Borenstein, Gifted Education Teacher, Chesnut Charter Elementary School, Atlanta, Georgia "Many times students live in areas that are far from 'natural.' This field trip provided them with a hands-on, visual display of what nature truly looks like in its natural state. The whole group activities were great! The plants that were on display were interesting and the kids enjoyed learning about them. We hope to visit again next year! It was a great experience for all." - Tara Thomas, 4th Grade Teacher, Hull-Sanford Elementary School, Hull, Georgia "The students of Tilson Elementary really enjoyed their field trip to the Georgia Nature Center. They can't stop talking about the carnivorous plants. They also shared ways they would try to conserve energy. Thank you for a wonderful field trip." - Kephanie Henderson, 5th Grade Teacher, Tilson Elementary, Decatur, Georgia "My students were most impressed with the carnivorous plants and their origins. The presenters were interesting and kept the program moving at a pace the students enjoyed. Students also had many questions about solar power. We had a great experience." - Nancy Hayes Kitchens, Gifted Students Teacher (1st through 5th grades), Mattie Wells Elementary, Macon, Georgia "We chose to come to the Georgia Nature Center because we thought it would be a good hands on learning experience. Our students learned real life energy and conservation ideas they would not have learned otherwise." - Clay Woerner, 9th Grade Teacher, Pike County High School, Zebulon, Georgia "I teach a special education class with students who require more effort in order to understand things. The young lady at Georgia Nature Center who guided us was great. Best was the demonstration of solar power and energy using solar toys and gadgets. Also, my students remembered a lot about carnivorous plants. The plants you gave us are thriving! Thanks for a great day. We would love to return." - Pam Seymour, Special Education Teacher, Putnam County Schools, Eatonton, Georgia |
Georgia Nature Center 3001 Salem Road Watkinsville, Georgia 30677 Phone: 1-800-800-2SUN CONTACT US
WORLD.ORG® is a registered trademark of World Organization.